After the eventful past months; Loh took some time off from his busy race schedule to unwind and prepare for the next block of racing with altitude training in Lijang; the Tiger Leaping Gorge; and Shangri La. Enjoy the photos! -Editor

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Following the breakaway fest that was the Tour de Langkawi, Loh was back at it again at the Tour of Thailand and Le Tour de Filipinas -Editor

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhon's Cup Tour of Thailand 2012, UCI2.2

The elephant is a sacred animal in Thailand.

To race again in Northern Thailand is akin to racing in my own backyard. There’s a feeling of returning to one of my many adopted home countries - the friends I have here; the food; the culture; the lifestyle; and more importantly, memories of my stage win here in 2008 give this race a special significance.

 Loh's stage win in 2008.

I had marked this year’s Tour of Thailand as a first major objective of the season, if not “the race” for which my whole season would be based on. It turned out to be the right decision, and the results made it even greater. After the lows of the past 6 months dealing with injuries, I was back! In a way, the past 6 months of downtime made me calmer and more solid mentally.

 At ease in his adopted homeland.

This year's race was epic, with the queen stage coming as early as the 3rd stage and consisting of an ascent similar to the Angliru or the Zoncolan. Many riders opted for a 27T or 28T sprocket. I went one up and got a mountain bike sized 30T, and it turned out to be a good decision, as I was able to spin up most of the climb while others zigzagged all over the road. From now on, the 30T will be a must-have in my race bag.

 Loh in the Prologue Time Trial. (photo courtesy of Cycling Asia)

As has become my trademark style of racing, I was in the breakaways again. Only this time, I had a shot at risking it for a GC ride. Even when I came close for a stage win situation, the hallucinations of having a high GC finish made up my mind to take the risk, and make the sacrifice. GC opportunities are too rare for a rider of my characteristics, and so I took off like never before.

 Loh (right) in the thick of the action in Stage 3. (photo courtesy of Cycling Asia)

I finished the Tour in 8^th spot on GC, with a deficit of only 1 minute and 44 seconds in arrears. My reunited team mate Haidar, who has just returned after a year away from racing, said I looked totally different in the races compared to before. After the hard week of racing, my team mates and I enjoyed a week of rest, before embarking on another stage race, Le Tour de Filipinas.

Le Tour de Filipinas 2012, UCI2.2

 Haidar (left), and Loh; enjoying an easy spin upon arrival in the Philippines. 

After 24 hours of travel from Chiang Mai, we arrived in Cagayan, North Luzon in the Philippines; only a day before the start of Le Tour de Filipinas. Despite the draining flight, and long drive, we were out on our bikes almost immediately upon arrival – albeit just an easy ride doing what cyclo-tourists do - enjoying the scenery; taking photos; stopping for drinks.

 Filippino farmers sun-drying harvested crops.

Compared to Northern Thailand, the climate in the Philippines was really hot. Perhaps that’s what made it suitable for the crop harvesting season as we saw rice and corn being sun-dried by the roadside - we tried our best to avoid rolling over them! To cool down after the ride, we jumped off the jetty for a swim! Not the regular build-up to a stage race, but as it turns out; this gave me wings for the next four days of racing!

 Cooling off after a pre-race ride...

We started the stage race with 4 riders, and 1 director sportive. Without a large team, we were more like a family with everyone chipping in and doing their part instead of being served. Our DS, Justin, was also our masseur, and we cleaned our own bikes after each stage. The good thing is the race organiser was very generous with accommodations and we didn't have to squeeze together in small rooms!

 Cooling off after a stage!

I started the race carrying the form and morale from Thailand; I was on a high in terms of race condition and fitness. Straight away I was already initiating the move to force the breakaway group out on the road. I finished 6^th and 7^th in the first two stages, with back-to-back efforts in breakaways – a strategy to gain a few precious minutes from the strong Filipino climbers. Unfortunately, a crash took out Haidar on Stage 3, further reducing team support coming into the queen stage on the last day of racing.

 Loh marked his rivals closely.

Lurking in 3^rd place on GC, I was a mere 36 seconds away from the yellow jersey. This was an unfamiliar situation, one that I have never encountered in my cycling career to-date. And a good thing, as I felt absolutely no pressure, coming from such a long way down as a non-favourite, with nothing to lose. The stage finished with a climb up to Baguio City, consisting of 2 ascents of up to 1,600m each with 25-30km of climbing. An epic day of riding; in hell for the non-climbers! The last time I raced a similar parcours was in the Circuito Montañes, the “criterium of mountains”, in Spain.

 A well-timed attack!

I approached the stage with respect; conserving and using my energy carefully throughout the stage while eating and drinking consistently. As the stage went on, I felt stronger, and started riding faster. Despite being a rouleur, I dropped both the race leader and the best climber with 5km to the top of the last KOM, and suddenly started to believe I had a chance at winning the yellow jersey! Despite a puncture on the descent, and riding solo with 25km to go, I was calmly and patiently eating away at the time gaps, all the time closing in on yellow.  

 Taking a flyer 5km from the top of the final climb.

With 10km to go, the race course was suddenly without road closure, and the roads were opened to traffic from both directions! With no lead car or commissars in sight in the last 3km, the motorcycle marshal led me in the wrong direction, and in the last 300m, a badly-parked local tourist bus led me into opposite traffic instead of riding straight into the finish line. I had to turn around on both occasions, and sprinted my balls off to get back into the race.

 Loh closing in on yellow.

Finally, I found and crossed the finish line, but I knew my chance at yellow had been thrown into uncertainty. Indeed, I came in 1 minute and 50 seconds behind the winner - just 16 seconds short of winning the yellow jersey!

 A series of mis-directions in the last 3km's relegated an otherwise perfect ride to 2nd on GC.

 Loh celebrates a successful Tour de Filipinas with D.S. Justin Cheong.

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First and foremost, our apologies to our readers for the skipped updates from the Tour de Langkawi. After Stage 4, it worked out better for Loh to rest and recover in preparation for the remaining opportunities in the stages that followed. True enough, Loh was back on the breakaway in the very next stage; and continued to give his best efforts throughout the rest of the race. His persistence in breakaways certainly had us all glued to the edges of our seats! In this update, Loh looks back on the Queen Stage, and comments on a tough, and at times frustrating, Tour de Langkawi. –Editor

With Genting Highlands looming on the horizon, Stage 6 was the Queen Stage of the Tour. The attention would switch from the sprinters’ teams to the climbers’ teams. As for the opportunists, it was yet another stage to plough our trade in breakaways. And with Stage 6 being a 108km short stage characterized “only” by the monster climb of Genting, I went to work early. I found myself in a group of 7 riders which included Assan Bazayev of Astana; Valerey Valynin of RusVelo; Alireza Haghi of Azad University; James Williamson of New Zealand; Sonny Colbrelli of Colnago-CSF Inox; and my Malaysian compatriot, Rizuan Zainal, riding for the National Team.

The breakaway built-up a 5 minute lead. (photo courtesy of Cycling Asia)

We worked fairly well to get to the 2^nd sprint of the day, 65km into the stage. Soon after, Bazayev made a killer acceleration as we reached the lower slopes of Genting. I was barely able to hold on, but he made it clear to me that if I didn't contribute to the breakaway, he would attack again. Initially, I made an effort to work together, but soon after, I decided to climb at my own rhythm. Perhaps the only thing that Bazayev didn't know was that I had been training on this road for the last 10 years. I know it like the back of my hand, and knew how to take full advantage of the 5 minute lead we had on the peloton to start the final 18km ascent to the top of Genting Highlands. And so I forged on; while he eventually faded.

Soon enough, the top climbers caught up to us, or whatever was left of the break. As they were swiftly approaching, I felt the urge to at least try to sit on their wheels as they flew past me on the climb. The first wave included the Colombians and Venezuelans in Jose Rujano; Jose Serpa; Jackson Rodriguez; Carlos Jose Ochoa, and Nino Corredo. To my surprise they were actually having a bit of a chit chat, as they danced away on the pedals! Next, the expressions of those who came past me were totally the reverse, with the word “cracked” clearly written on their foreheads. By having the whole climb still left to ride, I stayed with my rhythm, and pushed on.

On the Alpe d’Huez, there is the Dutch Corner, and on Genting, you have the Terengganu Corner, made up by Malaysians from the state of Terengganu. Most of the most successful Malaysian cyclists like sprint sensation Anuar Manan, and track star Azizul Awang hail from Terengganu, and their supporters’ Corner on the Genting climb gets bigger each year. You sense a party atmosphere as you approach the corner, and the race convoy squeezes through the wall of noise and encouragement in exactly the same as in the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, or the Veulta Espana. Perhaps in future years, the slopes of Genting will be filled with spectators from the bottom to the top of the climb. With the encouragement of the fans, I forged on to finish 47^th on the stage, almost 13 minutes behind Jose Serpa, who would go on to win the Tour for the second time.

Throughout this year’s Tour, I desperately sought opportunities to put myself into a winning breakaway. From kilometer zero at the start of every stage, I would ride at the very front of the peloton. I gave myself no other option - never say die; never say enough; never too tired, I would hit out and put my nose in the wind. This is the only way I could see myself getting in with a chance of success.

I also took on the responsibility of road captain, as my young team had only 3 riders left in the race after Stage 6. At last, all the efforts were worth it when my team mate, Goh Choon Huat, made it into a breakaway that lasted all the way to the finish line in 11^th. His success reminded of my past, when I managed to finish 7^th in a breakaway in 2007. Even though he didn't make it on to the podium, it was a great step for him; the team; and for me personally, as my persistence had started to convince my team mates that we could do well at this level racing. It felt like we started to believe in ourselves more from then onwards.

Making it into breakaways is important even if it does not result in a stage victory. As a professional, sprint primes and bonuses are sources of income. Besides making TV airtime that results in good exposure for the sponsors on our jerseys, I tried hard to collect the Intermediate Sprint and King of the Mountains points. Even though the chances for a Classification jersey were slim, it was great practice for the future. And the coin earned along the way certainly helped with finances, affording me payback for my efforts instead of just sitting in the bunch and getting nothing at all.

The domination of the sprinters’ teams in this year’s Tour de Langkawi led to frustration and dislike amongst the smaller teams who despite not being able to win big, were still out to get results. There were even journalists and commissaires who voiced their opinions that they had hoped to see other winners appearing on the podium. There are certainly no gifts to be expected in cycling, but perhaps the race needs to be made longer and with more variety in stages and terrain to see more winners stepping up to the podium.

All in all, this year’s Tour was a tour of desperation for me, and for many of the smaller teams. It was clearly exhibited again in the last stage. In yet another attempt to break the monopoly of the sprinters’ teams, I teamed-up with one of the most experienced breakaway artists in the peloton, Shinichi Fukushima. We were representing two different teams; but we had a common interest, and the same desperation that kept us going forward. Whether we succeeded in staying away was another matter; to try our best in the last stage was the only way to find satisfaction. Despite being fully-aware of the intention of the sprinters’ teams, we put in our full commitment and took responsibility in order to fulfill our roles as professionals.

The race did not end the way I had hoped but it rarely does. After all the hard riding, many asked where I had found the motivation. The answer is that I do what needs to be done to stay happy with my job. That means racing from my heart in search of success, and knowing that I have to take the racing like I always have – by its horns.

Immediately after the Tour ended, I travelled to Singapore with the team to attend a prize presentation ceremony for OCBC Bank’s staff who participated in the recent OCBC Cycle Singapore event. We were invited to the ceremony as it was a great opportunity to introduce the Continental Team riders to the OCBC Bank staff, and allowed us to talk about our exploits in the recently concluded Tour. Even though we were still quite tired from the past 10 days of racing, it was a great way for us to give something back to our sponsors, and gain a fan base along the way.

Thanks for reading!

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If you weren't clad in fluoro yellow; you were probably one of the many sore bodies in the Tour de Langkawi after Stage 3's pile-ups. Loh got off relatively uninjured but was still feeling stiff and bruised. Saleh, the team masseur, has been a tremendous help in getting the OCBC rider back on the road. Here's hoping Loh will be back to his best for Stage 5!  

-Editor

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Another flat stage; and another frantic finish. Today, Loh was caught up in a crash with 4km to go. Thankfully, he escaped unscathed; and crossed the finish line 3mins 43secs behind repeat winner Andrea Guardini. Loh assures us that he is okay, and in fact, feeling good after yesterday's "leg loosener"! We will catch up with his race commentary again as soon as we can. For now, we leave you with a choice quote from yesterday's post-race interview. -Editor

Follow the Tour de Langkawi's Twitter updates HERE.

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Loh gets going early!

After a 130km long breakaway, Loh; Floris Goesinnen of Drapac; and Lee Rodgers of RTS Racing were caught by the charging peloton with only 3km to go:

With his move today, Loh is now even on points with stage winner, Andrea Guardini.

The OCBC Singapore Continental Team is off to a great start thanks to Loh's valiant efforts today!

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Loh checks in with his thoughts after a 78th place finish; 3mins 41secs behind Dave Zabriskie, who described today's stage as "one of the best time trial courses":

Not bad for a non-specialist! (photo courtesy of Cycling Asia magazine)

Today I felt better than expected. I didn't think I could rank myself in a 20km ITT as I am not a time trial specialist. I tried to start off steady, and give it whatever I had in the tank. After today's ride, I realised that I can do better - I lost a bit of concentration in the latter parts of the ride. I would estimate my effort to be at 90-95% because I lost 5-10% through the lapse in concentration. This is something I hope to improve in future time trials.

As the ITT was only 20km, I did a short ride afterwards to loosen the legs for the rest of the stages. There are many high profile climbers in this year’s Tour de Langkawi. The road stages start tomorrow with Dave Zabriskie a minute ahead of everyone, and with Tom Danielson just shy of the top 3. The Colombians and Iranians have brought full squads of pure climbers to dominate the climbing stages, and we can expect some fierce racing coming up.

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Here we are, just hours before the official start of the racing season. The off-season of hard work; the suffering in training; the sacrifices, not to mention the blood; sweat; and tears in recovering from my injuries, will now be distant memories. The day has come, as the 24^th of February will mark my return to racing in my new team’s debut at the UCI 2.HC Tour de Langkawi.

The OCBC Singapore Continental Team will be led by Justin Cheong, and I will line up alongside my young team mates from across the Straits - Jun Rong, Chun Huat, Marcus, Tim, and our Australian import, Nick. The new team is also an opportune reunion with Saleh, team masseur from my very first Tour de Langkawi back in 2006. Along with our mechanics Indera and Safwan, we will be like a family going into this year’s tour.

I grew up dreaming of doing this race, and this year’s edition will mark my 7^th start. While I have worked hard to reach this level of competition, I also feel a sense of gratitude towards this race. It has given me a dream to dream, and every time I come back to race, I ride like there’s no tomorrow and search for the glory that everyone dreams of – to cross the finish line first; with my arms in the air!

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Following the last blog post, here is an updated and in-depth report of Loh joining the OCBC Singapore Continental Cycling Team, and a look into his preparations for the 2012 season: 

"Get in position, boys!" Lorna Campbell, the team's PR Agent, coordinating team photos. 

The much anticipated team launch was held at OCBC Bank’s main office situated in Singapore’s central business district along Chulia Street. The team had secured a UCI Continental license; and the media buzz surrounding the event was very encouraging. All riders and team staff were introduced, and the launch was followed by interviews with the local news and sports journalists. We then proceeded to have team photos taken along the historic Singapore River.

Jun Rong prepares to go in front of the TV crew. 

Behind-the-scenes, the team launch was a simple and cozy affair for the riders and team management alike. My immediate impression is that this is a close-knit team with everyone working closely together. Even the sponsor, OCBC Bank Singapore, has many staff members actively-involved. Seeing this has put me at ease, and I feel very comfortable in this new team.

At the team briefing before the launch. 

Joining this team has also reunited me with Haidar Anuawar, my team mate for 2 years in the Marco Polo Cycling Team. He had been out of competitive cycling for a year; dedicating time to starting his family. Haidar and his wife are now proud parents to a baby boy, and in the meantime, they have even managed to get a small restaurant up and running!

Haidar (2nd from left) and Loh (right) with cycling's favourite devil, Didi Senft. 

Now that things have settled down on the home front, Haidar has found motivation to ride again, and the team has offered him a rare opportunity to return to competitive cycling. I have always enjoyed racing with Haidar, and look forward to teaming up once again. It will not be long before he gets back to peak condition, and our previous experiences racing together will certainly make things easier on the road.

A view from the saddle with the OCBC team in training. Haidar and Loh will now be a part of this close-knit team. 

Along with the new team comes new equipment, and I am excited to be racing Opera bicycles this year. The team’s equipment is provided by Cycle Worx Singapore, a great bicycle shop owned, and run by Singapore’s most successful professional cyclist to-date - Kenneth Tan and his business partner Mohd Yusoff. Arriving at Cycle Worx, I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted in Dutch! We later found out that Kenneth and I had both been living and racing in the same region in Holland – only 15 years apart!

Cycle Worx is not just a bicycle shop but also a strong supporter of the region's cycle sport and culture. 

After the team presentation and formalities, I made my way home to Malaysia. I had travelled to Singapore by bus, and similarly I had my return trip on the bus. And just like all the other travelers, I had to pack my new team bike and all the new team kit in the lower storage compartment!

Pinarello and Opera are represented by Cycle Worx in Singapore. 

Back at home, I continued my preparations for the new season. OCBC’s bright red kit gave me renewed motivation, and putting it on for the first time felt so different after the last 7 years of Marco Polo blue. This wardrobe refresher also coincided with the Chinese Lunar New Year, and red is a great colour as it symbolizes success!  

Loh fielding questions from journalists :-P 

Traditionally, Chinese New Year festivities include family reunions; visiting friends; and prayers at the temples. This year’s festivities were especially joyful as my sister returned from the United States for the first time in 5 years. This made it an auspicious occasion for my family, and I wanted to spend the holidays and celebrate the Chinese New Year at home. We also made trips to Kelantan, Ipoh, Melaka, and Penang where I caught up with my blog’s editor!

Loh taking a breather in Penang during the Chinese New Year holidays. 

This however meant that I missed out on the team training camp in Thailand, and had to balance the festivities and the quintessential pre-season hours on the bike. I did have my bike with me even while travelling with my family. And amidst all the festivities and feasting, I was able to get out on my bike in the early mornings.

Tour de Langkawi reconaissance with Shinichi Fukushima (right); my arch-nemesis from Stage 8 of last year's Tour of Indonesia! (photo courtesy of Danny Feng) 

Looking more closely at my training over the past months, I have been building base miles since December. After the ADC Vietnam Tour, I had a platform for the initial phase of my 2012 preparations. This allowed me to increase the intensity with quality rides - I have been putting a lot of time into motor paced efforts; sprint practice; and generally riding at E3-E4 levels. Additionally, I have incorporated training on the velodrome in the hope that the specific workouts will yield good form for the upcoming season.

From the dizzying heights of Genting Highlands; a picture taken on a recce of this year's Tour de Langkawi stage. 

The team’s international debut will be in my home race – the UCI 2.HC Tour de Langkawi. This gives me more motivation to train and be at my peak right from the beginning of the season. I have been doing route recognition rides around Kuala Lumpur and paying special attention to the notorious Genting Highlands climb. Look for more updates on the blog as we draw closer to the start on the 24^th of February. Until then, thanks for reading!

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Along with the new year, Loh has signed with the new UCI Continental status OCBC Bank Singapore Cycling Team.

The team was launched with the Singaporean cityscape as its backdrop.

Loh, resplendant in his new team kit; a refreshing change of colours!

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Asia's very own cycling magazine, Cycling Asia has recently published a cover feature on Loh. The article is titled "The Journeyman" in recognition of Loh's endeavours in cycling's heartland. Through this well-written piece, we also discover Loh's humble beginnings; the hardman's style of racing he developed through his Dutch-based team; and admiration for his Malaysian cycling compatriots. The magazine has kindly allowed us to share the article with you, the readers of Loh's blog. Be sure to also pick-up a hard copy from your local newsagent, and enjoy!

(roll over image to download full size)

Special thanks to Mohd Rosidi Mohamed, and the team at Cycling Asia.

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Loh has just ended his last race of the year. Like a metaphor for a year of ups and downs; he pulled on the race leader’s yellow jersey after the 4^th stage of the ADC – THVL Tour; only to pull out of the race the very next day due to a bad case of travelers’ diarrhea. Here, he ponders the future, and discusses the struggles that many pro cyclists are facing in search of a contract for next season:

Loh in yellow (centre).

At year’s end, one cannot help but reflect on the past and wonder about the future. Without a confirmed contract for next season, I am undoubtedly feeling down. With my recent setbacks; I had lost opportunities at results that may have boosted my chances of finding a new team. This has affected my motivation in a way that I have never felt in previous off-seasons.

Growing up with ‘The Blues’ – the Marco Polo Cycling Team has been my home for all the 7 years that I have spent in Europe. Unfortunately, due to a change in the team’s direction and objectives, time has come to part ways. The good times will be remembered; the bad ones have been put aside, and we have moved on.

Last spring with 'The Blues'.

In searching for a new team, several concerns have surfaced. While riders with good seasons have already been snapped-up by teams; the rest have resorted to bombing the inboxes of every team director’s e-mail full of applications. With so many riders and so few places on team rosters, it boils down to ‘who you know’. Contacts are very important in getting into talks with teams.

Another obstacle has to do with a lack of financial backing. And I am referring not only to the team sponsors, but also the riders’ personal backers that follow them from team to team. So in spite of the romantic view that some cycling ‘purists’ take on how money and cycling do not belong together, at this level of sport, it does.

Unless a rider has many winning results, some form of financial backing is necessary in getting a contract signed. It is something not many people realize, especially those outside of Europe where true cycling culture resides. But if you scratch the surface and dig deep, you will find riders who pay for places in teams, even if their participations in races are not guaranteed.

There are also the riders who are on their own; like me. I came into this sport without the backing of a sports academy or cycling organization, and I have raced abroad for many years while being self-funded. While I have enjoyed living in new environments; meeting new people; and learning different cultures, it has been a hard road.

The net result from my experiences has been that I have developed into the rider I am now. I have become an experienced domestique, having ridden strongly in support of team mates such as Leon Van Bon (Lotto-Domo, Rabobank); Matthe Pronk (Vacansoleil) and Sergey Kudentsov (Marco Polo Cycling) in final bunch sprints; as well as in support of General Classification climbers such as Jai Crawford (Fly-V Australia); FuYu Li (ex-Discovery Channel; yellow jersey in Tour Thailand in 2006), and Rhys Pollock (DFL-Cyclingnews; Drapac Procycling).

While I am not a rider with a sparkling palmares, I had hoped the recognition as a workhorse would come in handy when looking for a contract. But it seems it is much harder compared to sprinters or climbers who are able to bag consistent results. It is ironic, because cycling is a sport that relies heavily on team work.

It is indeed a shame that team helpers are not getting the type of contracts that they deserve. By this I mean the lesser contracts, and the unwillingness of teams to invest in riders yet expect for them to do what a top professional does. In a way, it looks like there are teams who are relying on developing cyclists to invest in them rather than the other way around. Call it unfair, but it’s just business.

While helping others gives me great satisfaction, it has also proven to be great learning grounds for my own development. When the opportunities presented themselves, my all-rounder abilities have become well-suited to winning from long breakaways. Highlights include my stage win at the UCI 2.2 Tour of Thailand, and near-miss second places in the Tour de Langkawi, and most recently at the Tour of Indonesia.

For the last 7 years, I have managed to stay focused on my goals, no matter what the obstacles. This time, the setbacks left me with more questions than answers coming into this period of the year. I have been forced to question if my sacrifices have been worth it in reality. Whether seeking my own opportunities will boost chances for future contracts. It is still hard to say exactly what they will be at this point, but rest assured, I will be looking to start the next season with new motivations.

Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year!

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Within only 3 weeks of being back on the bike, Loh is on the road again!

Besides being able to race during this time of the year, Vietnam also offers a refreshing change of menu as part of the post-race meals.

And it shows, as he now leads the race after Stage 4!

*Update: here's a quick snapshot of the general classifications from the results sheets.

-Editor

**Further update with pictures from the race:

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It has been a quiet off-season. Recovering from the injuries to my right arm and shoulder, I have had to limit my movements; putting me off from my other hobbies like trekking, and swimming. And in order to accelerate healing, I have also had to limit the off-season drinks that I usually indulge in during time off the bike.

4 weeks on, I gradually regained mobility of my right shoulder. This allowed me to jump on the trainer for some easy spinning. I also started strength training with light weights. All while still spending quality time at home with my family.

Fast forward to today. In anticipation of pre-season training, I had to escape the torrential downpours of the East Coast monsoon; so I packed up, and travelled to my training base in Kuala Lumpur. Without a race schedule for next year, and nothing more than a spark of energy, I am still determined to make sure I am ready for anything ‘up the road’.

The off-season is also full of new things to explore. I had been toying with the idea to do a run. Or at least, a jog, if I wasn’t fast enough as runner. So I signed up for the 10km event at Nike’s “We Run KL”. With only basic preparations, it was just about going out and having fun. But when the run started, and the going got tough, I felt as though I could cook a steak on my ribs! I did it in 43 minutes; finishing 16th. Not a bad way to kick-start the engine!

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I can't wait to read this! -Editor

Thanks to Cycling Asia magazine.

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In a cruel twist of fate, the season has come to a crashing halt for Loh. His recent good form, and ambitions for a strong showing at the South East Asian Games have all gone to naught after a crash in training. –Ed.

The 2011 season is now a distant memory. (Photo courtesy of Mohd Mokhriz Aziz - Cycling Asia)

In cycling, and especially for racing cyclists, the bad days far outweigh the good days. You have to work hard to be good in the races, but the reality is nothing can be promised in return. Things can change at the very last minute, and this is what has happened to me - a crash in training has left me with bone fractures of my 4^th posterior rib; acromion, and scapula (shoulder blade). So, in spite of the hard work, and the will to ride into form for the last race of the season, I now find myself lying in bed with an arm-sling on.

“It is what it is,” I tell myself. Or should I say, I try to convince myself; to let go. But it isn’t easy to do. To let go is to accept failure even before I get my shot at the SEA Games. There is a Chinese saying -拿得起放得下- that reads “if you are able to lift it up, then surely, you can also put it down.” To me, it means that if I dare take up a challenge, I should also have the courage to face defeat.

Now that the inevitable has happened, there is nothing I can do to change the circumstances. With the SEA Games only less than a month away, I have resigned to the fact that I will be watching the race from my sofa. The doctor has placed me under house arrest with at least 6 weeks of recovery to let the fractured bones heal.

Occasionally, I think of next season, but perhaps it is too far away to think of for now. Rehab and physiotherapy will begin in 2 weeks, so it may be wiser to put all my energy into healing. In the meantime, the doctor has advised to abstain from coffee and alcohol to aid my recovery. Those who know me well will know how hard this is going to be!

As they say – c’est la vie. It is time to hit the reset button, and go back to basics this off-season. This episode has been a humbling one, and one that reminds me of the more important things in life. Although I am frustrated with the injury, I have to consider myself lucky this didn't happen during the race season. Instead, it has timed itself as if to say, “It’s time for rest!”

So bring on the off season! As I found out only 3 years ago, a calm and quiet off-season will usually bring on better racing the next year. During the 5 hour journey home, I was reminded of how much I have missed my hometown. The monsoon season has just started, and in spite of the pouring rain, the neighbourhood’s kids are still outside playing. The smell of the wet ground, and rising levels in nearby rivers welcome me home. I was born, and will be re-born in the monsoon season.

Get well soon, Loh - we are behind you all the way!

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After the rest day, the intensity picked up in the 2^nd part of the Tour of Indonesia. The stages were longer, the wind stronger, and the temperatures rose even higher! -Ed.

Loh back at it after the rest day.

Stage 6 saw a long run of bad luck for the Malaysian National Team. First, a teammate was prevented from starting the race after being disqualified. Then, another teammate suffered broken forks on his bike and crashed. And as if the stage had not been eventful enough, another teammate, Rauf was in the finally move with 10km to go, but fell coming into a turn. He was lucky tho’, as a fence saved him from being thrown into a deep ditch. Me? I had my share of poor luck too as I was left waiting for neutral service after puncturing on a descent with 7km to go. In the end, Rauf and I finished over 4 minutes behind the day’s winner.

The next day’s Stage 7 was supposed to be an all-out assault in revenge of the previous day’s run of bad luck. With a pancake-flat course, we prepared our fast man for a sprint finish. I had been covering moves for a good part of the race and found myself fading in the last 3km’s. With Akmal, my team mate in the green jersey on my wheel, we had to hit out but it was too early. Akmal had to make his own way, and was narrowly-beaten by Shahrul Mat Amin, the Malaysian national champion riding for the Continental team, TSG. Our efforts for the day were paid off by winning the best team prize.

Stage 8 was a long stage that offered the last two intermediate sprints in the green jersey points competition. This meant our team’s main goal was to seal the victory for Akmal. I had also set the stage as a personal goal as the parcours motivated me greatly. When I hear complaints about long stages like, “I am not so stupid to ride in the breakaway for 190km” I relish the opportunity. As soon as the stage started, I went away with a few other riders.

Immediately, I realized that my fellow breakaway companions were hitting the gas too hard as it was just the beginning of the break. I didn't feel comfortable but I had a most important job to take on the intermediate sprints for Akmal. So I pushed on, and sprinted for 2^nd place in the first intermediate sprint, and was actually 1^st across the line in the last intermediate sprint. This meant Akmal had enough points to secure the green jersey! And surprisingly I moved into 2^nd place behind him. The Malaysia team car almost exploded with the team managers’ cheers after the announcements were heard over race radio!

Back to the stage, and it was turning out to be a hard day. Riding along the coast with cross- and head-winds all day long, I was looking forward to hitting the 130km mark when we would turn inland and ride on the other side of the coast. All I was thinking about was a tailwind to aid me along to the home straight. That and the thought of staying away and finishing in front kept me motivated.

After the fast-paced riding in the early part of the day, the other escapees were slowly starting to pay the price for their exuberance. They started to miss turns, and showed all kinds of expressions on their faces. As I came forward to take a pull, I made a small acceleration, and they all looked at each other. So, with a gap starting to open, I thought, “What?! There’s still 80km’s to go!”

Regardless, I decided to take off alone. With a 9 minute lead on a day like this, I had to bet all my chips on making it to the finish on my own. But things rarely turn out according to plan, and the last 40km’s were met with a head wind, and rough roads. This combination of obstacles would either make or break me. I gritted my teeth, and dug deep. The headwind picked up again, and the road went down rougher still.

With 4km to go, I was going to be picked up by a fast-charging group. Instead, Shinichi Fukushima, the seasoned Japanese rider, burst out of the pack and came up alone. I was barely able to stay on his wheel, and he out-sprinted me in the end. I was really frustrated. But to think back, if I had been swallowed by the bunch, I would have ended up with nothing. So, 2^nd isn't too bad. My team also finished 2^nd in team’s classification. After the race, I found out that I had lost two and a half minutes of my lead in the last 17km after a chase led by the Hong Kong and TSG teams tried to split the main bunch.

Stage 9 saw us do a ferry transfer early in the morning from Java to Bali. With yesterday’s efforts and only a short night to recover, I felt sore all over. And guess what – Stage 9 was the Queen stage up a volcano of 1600m elevation.

I started the day 14^th overall on GC, and hoped to keep it to the finish, but my body has feeling worn out. I still wanted to do a good ride to finish this climb in a reasonable position. And it could only be done with a head start on the climb, so I had to start the day with a break and gain a time advantage leading into the climb. I worked hard to make sure I made it into the day’s break, and I was away with 6 others.

I didn't have the legs to ride hard, and as I also came to realize, my shoe had broken along the way. I had to ride on with a spare shoe. Coming into the foot of the climb, I was creeping. Surprisingly, I got back into some sort of rhythm after the main bunch went passed me. Hanging on, I rode up the rest of the climb with the yellow jersey, and a few others. We finished 5 minutes down on the day’s winner, and more importantly, I secured my GC place.

...as the breakaway races along the unmistakable Balinese landscape.

Stage 10 was the last day of the Tour of Indonesia, and all I could think of was the finish line. Our sprinter was dropped on a small climb, and the day’s plan to bring our fast man to the line had to be postponed until the next time around. The day’s break contained a threat for the team’s overall classification, and the Indonesian teams combined efforts to cut down the deficit. Disappointingly (for a UCI-sanctioned race) traffic control was lax and we were left to contend with motorized traffic. During the last 3 laps, cars and motorcycles were all over the race course. The break would stay away, and won the stage by 20 seconds.

With that, we concluded the 2011 Tour of Indonesia. Things had turned out well for me in the end. There had been a lot of ups and downs over the past weeks with crashes; wounds; botched recovery, and almost pulling out of the racing before it even started. Instead, the team ended up with two 2^nd places, lots of top 10’s, and a 1-2 in the Green Jersey points classification.

Personally, it has been what I would have wanted before I came here - going for a stage win, and a reasonable GC ride. It’s always hard to expect things to turn out exactly as planned, but surely, one can work hard and chase those dreams. There has been a lot of learning in the past weeks, and hopefully this will lead me to greater heights and successes in the future. It’s been a race of many seconds, but in this case, being 2nd hasn't just meant being the fastest looser, it’s been the place of a fighter!

Photos courtesy of Cycling Asia

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In this second installment of the 'Friends of Loh' feature (click here for the first), we interview Jonathan Lovelock who was Loh's team mate on the Marco Polo Cycling Team in 2010. Young Jono is now a member of the hugely-succesful Genesys Pro Cycling Team. As you will discover, there is an emerging trend where friends and Loh are concerned - a love for the bike and a love for food, glorious food!  -Ed.

Jono (3rd from right), Loh (2nd from left) and their team mates on the Marco Polo Cycling Team 2010.

How did you get into cycling, and when did you become team mates with Loh on the Marco Polo Cycling team?

I got into cycling about 7 years ago when my Dad and I built a road bike out of some old parts in the shed. I was lucky and started riding recreationally with my Dad around Melbourne. After a couple of years I got into racing and I was terrible! But 5 years and lots of kilometres later, I arrived in Europe ready to race with Marco Polo, and ready to cook some good Malay food with Loh!

Juggling life as a university student with top level cycling - how do you do it, and what advise can you give to other riders with similarly hectic schedules?

You have to be committed and organised but you also need assistance. I have been really lucky throughout my career to have teachers and lecturers who have allowed me to move assessments or exams around when I have had big races. During my last year of school, I missed 6 weeks to race with the junior Australian national team. But when I got back I had 8 important tests in a row!

At university I have had similar assistance through the Elite Student Athlete program and Melbourne University which has been fantastic. But even if you can get things moved to allow you to be away at the races, it's hard to stay on top and remember things you learnt a long time ago. Last year, I finished semester one classes in May but had to go to Holland straight away to race with Marco Polo, so I was allowed to do my exams later in the year. I ended up doing them in October, so I definitely struggled with those exams!

In the races, you are never shy of breakaways, and attacking - what goes through your mind when you launch an attack?

I love attacking! It's so good when you are in good form and in a positive mindset - you just start thinking, “no matter how much this hurts me; it will be hurting the others even more!” Conversely, I dread being in the position late in a race when attacks are going from other riders and you are hesitating because you are tired – that’s when you can sometimes start second-guessing yourself. So when I am in good form and attacking hard, I like to be positive and start thinking it only takes a few seconds of hesitation from rides behind me and I can be away!

Can you tell us about the best and worst moments in a race so far?

The best moment for me was probably in the Tour of Thailand in 2009. There were a couple of times during the race where I nearly got dropped, but just held on even though I was sure I was going to pass out. On the first stage it was my first race in Asia and it was so hot, it was unbelievable. In the last part of the race there were only about 30 people left and there were attacks going and I was hesitating and I ended up dropped out of the front group with two other guys. But Wayne Evans the Plan B Racing Team's Directeur Sportif (who I was racing for then) was just screaming at me, telling us that the front group was slowing. We got back into the convoy and I knew that we could make it back then. I got back to the front group and survived to the finish and that put me in the top 15 on GC. Later in the tour we raced up a 3km wall - man it was so steep! I remember just getting dropped from the front group as they accelerated but like stage 1 I just made it back on. Lucky because I ended up 3rd on GC. It just showed me how a big tour is all about taking each little moment of pain and battling through because it's always worth it once the race is over!

The worst moment for me would have to be a stage last year in Tour of Korea when we got snowed on! It was so cold, it was absolute agony. The guys from Malaysia on Marco Polo, Loh and Haidar did not finish but that's no surprise - they came from 35 degree Celsius to 0 degree temperatures! It was just one of those horrible cold days. You can't get food out of your pockets because your hands are frozen stiff. You have so little feeling in your hands it’s hard to brake or change gears. It's almost like if you stopped pedalling your whole body would just freeze solid. To make it even worse I missed the front group that day so I slipped down the GC order and lost my chance of at least a top ten, and that made the last hour of shivering pretty hard to bear! The time when I crashed in Hainan was not my worst moment simply because I don't remember any of it!

Longest ride on the ergo ever?

My longest ergo ride is 3 hours, but I definitely cheated. I did 1 hour, got off and had a coffee for 10 minutes, got back on, did some intervals for the second hour, got off and stretched for 10 minutes then got back on for the last hour. Some guys can do hours and hours non-stop on the ergo. I don't think I am one of them. I'd prefer to ride in the snow like in Korea!

Training and what you rely on most - power, heart rate, or feel?

I rely on power and feel. When I am starting out from a low level of fitness I like to go off feel. Mostly because I tend to get distracted and push myself too hard, trying to put out the power I can put out when I am really fit. Whereas when I am fit, I train by power a lot and find it is so useful in keeping me honest and making sure I don't slack off. The only downside to power for me is that I can get obsessed with it! So when I race, or sometimes during intervals, I tape over my computer so I can train off feel also. It's very useful, sometimes just going on feel I can go much harder during some of my intervals, usually shorter ones. Whereas during longer intervals, I find the power helps me keep concentrated and focused.

Your team mates Nathan Haas, and Steele Van Hoff have done extremely well in the NRS, and look to be on their way to bigger things. Their paths have been compared to that of Richie Porte and Will Clarke in that they are riders who started riding full-time later, and have thus skipped the institute of sport route to turning professional. Another way of looking at this can be that the standard of racing in Australia is ever improving. How would you compare it to racing in Europe? You've also raced in Asia. How does the racing there fit into the grand scheme of things?

I think the quality of racing in Australia is going through the roof! The thing that is holding Australian racing back, in my opinion, is a lack of tours that reflect the races you will encounter when you race in Europe. This is why Asia is a perfect stepping stone to Europe for Australian riders. In Australia, the racing is always hard with a lot of short, hard, windy stages and a lot of criterium races. While these certainly get you fit, the next step is getting used to doing long races like the Tour of Korea which is around 1500km over 9 stages, or the Tour of Qinghai Lake, or the Tour of Langkawi, and so on. All of these races are more professional in the way they are run and in the length of the stages. 

My Genesys team mates this year have been kicking arse! I am really sad I haven't been able to race all the races with them. They are definitely forging a pathway outside of the institutes, and I think that's a great thing. The more opportunities there are for riders to get to Europe, be it through the institutes, through Asia, through America or straight to Europe, the better! 

At the start of the 2010 Tour of Korea.

You have a well-developed appetite for spicy Asian food. Where did you get your palate, and what does your coach think?

Haha! I have been lucky growing up in inner city Melbourne where there are a lot of good Asian restaurants, especially around the student areas near Melbourne Uni. After racing in Thailand in 2009 my love for spicy food just went nuts! I couldn't get enough. Since then racing in Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea and China I am always chasing new and interesting foods! My coach, and team management in the past have been concerned and certainly prefer that when I am away racing that I stay away from street food! I am not too fussed, and have no problems with spicy food that does not upset my stomach, but during races it is obviously wise to stick with safe choices. Once the race is over then is the time to experiment and get into the street food scene! After the Tour of Thailand in 2010 I went nuts at this street market with my friend, who was racing with the Plan B Racing Team, there was everything - intestines grilled on sticks, and bugs in leafs were the best!

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Loh checks in on a rest day in the middle of the 10 stage Tour de Indonesia.

I got up this morning with no idea of what to do today. Should I have a complete day off the bike? An easy day perhaps? Or should I throw in some intensity? Maybe even a long ride? In the end, I only did an easy 1.5 hours on the bike, then came back to the hotel, ate a big lunch, and downed a really big green coconut! And now, I will write about the race so far, before crawling to bed for a long afternoon siesta...

Loh signing-in at the start of Stage 2.

Coming into the Tour de Indonesia with the injuries from crashing out of the Tour de East Java has been hard. After the East Java race ended, I spent six days in transit in Surabaya. During those six days, sleep was scarce, and I developed a routine of starting training rides at 5 am, often without breakfast. Starting each day so early meant that the days were long, and I ended up quite tired.

Loh rides in the peloton during Stage 4.

Starting the Tour de Indonesia, I suffered in racing mode with wounds that had not yet fully-healed. I was nursing deep tissue injuries to my glutes that had yet to be treated by a masseur. It was a nightmare, and my teammates could easily sense that I was in trouble. I missed the day’s winning break of 6, and had to take up the chase in the peloton. We managed to cut down the gap to 17 seconds, and our team did have a reason to celebrate, as Akmal Amrun, won the day’s intermediate sprint, and put on the green Sprinter’s Jersey. Today’s winning break had four veterans of the peloton - Eddy Hollands, Wong Kam Po, Shinichi Fukushima, and Nathan Dahlberg – the ages of these four add up to more than 150 years old! (But as Shinichi once said, “there are more important things in cycling than age!” –Ed.)

By Stage 2, I was feeling better. Even though I was dropped on the day’s first climb, I came back on the descent. I was also lucky to be near the front at the finish and managed to avoid a nasty crash which involved almost 20 riders. The wounds on my body are not ready to make new friends yet!

Akmal Amrun resplendent in green!

Stage 3 started with a long, winding ascent of 50km. With my improving form, I managed to stick with the main bunch on the climb. A breakaway of 5 or 6 riders got away, and we had to go full gas until the finish line. Although we lost about 1 minute, I was more concerned about staying upright, healthy and in contention for the more important days in stage 5 and 9.

Stage 4 was a long stage over rolling terrain; a rare opportunity for the rouleurs to put time into the real climbers. This suited me well, and I made a few attempts before getting away with 12 riders after an intermediate sprint. Unfortunately, I cramped twice coming in to the finish. I tried to push on in spite of the cramping but a slight hesitation on my part, and I had to settle into 10^th place, almost 20 seconds behind the winner. The consolation was that we gained about 1.5 minutes from the peloton.

Stage 5 was D-day, with many local riders putting on compact cranks and 27, even 29T sprockets to cope with the terrain. Our team, along with many other foreign teams, was not similarly prepared. Today’s menu - a mountain top finish 2000m above sea level. The last 10km would rise up 1000m. 

Fast forward to the race, and I was in the day’s 2^nd break that contained 11 riders. We made it up to the foot of the climb before getting passed by a group of select climbers. I tried to hang on, but in the end I rode on my own for the last 15 km. As I groveled on the steepness, I thought to myself, “welcome to hell!”. It was like a wall, and I was reduced to a walking pace. At the finish, I had lost more than 8 minutes to the winner. This put me in 14^th place on the stage, and I now find myself lying in 11^th place overall on GC.

Wish me luck in the coming stages! But for now, I'll just sing ‘The Lazy Song’ from Bruno Mars for the rest of the day…

All photos courtesy of Cycling Asia

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The recent Tour of East Java was my first race in months since the Tour of Qinghai Lake. I arrived in Indonesia well-prepared with the training miles from Thailand as well as some finishing touches to my training during the 2 weeks I spent at home in Malaysia. Despite a small bout of the flu that gave me a good excuse to rest and taper off the hard training, I am now where I wish to be condition-wise. I will be based in Indonesia for 3 weeks of racing the Tour of East Java and the Tour of Indonesia. Based on past experiences, the racing promises to be hot, fast and furious over some very aggressive terrain.

Due to an eruption of the active volcano on Mt. Bromo, the race route of the recently concluded Tour of East Java was moved at the last minute. Lucky me as I would not be needing my compact crank and 29t cassette! The race started with an opening stage of a 50km criterium held in Surabaya. As we started the race, the Iranian team Tabriz Petrochemicals went to the front and rode as if they came here with a virtual yellow jersey on their team. They dictated the race, doing most of the pacing, and it ended as they had planned with a win from their Russian sprinter Boris Shpilevskiy. Our young gun, Seth did well to finish with a good 5^th place in his international debut with the Malaysian National Team - good on him! Rauf finished in 10^th, while Nik and I finished safely in the bunch. I had put in a few digs in the intermediate sprints getting a 2^nd place, and making an effort in the last 5km’s. We raced the 48km’s in less than an hour, so the level of racing in Asia is getting higher now.

In the 2^nd stage, a flat 185km route was met with a strong head wind for a good part of the last 80km’s. With a small group containing a Tabriz rider going away after a featured climb in the middle part of the race, the Hong Kong National Team led by two ex-World Champions on the track, Wong Kam Po and Kwok Ho Ting, decided to take on the chase, with a little of help from the Malaysian-based team Terengganu. The headwind on the long straights did help with the chase but the heat was working against everyone. When the break was finally caught, a few attacks happened but ended up nowhere until we came into the last 10km’s. The road started to kick up and with the twists and turns on small, rough agricultural roads, the peloton was split up. When I realized I was riding in the front split of 24, I put in a flyer with 400m to go hoping to surprise the other riders. But it was still a long way to go due to the long false flat. I tried to take the inside line to avoid the wind, but couldn’t hold my speed, and decide to sit back. When we finally hit the downhill section, the sprint ensued and I finished 16^th on the day. Rauf was one place in front in 15^th. We missed two team mates at the finish today as Nik and Seth were beset by cramps and dehydration after 100km’s of racing in the Indonesian heat. Both of them did not start the 3^rd stage after the effects of dehydration got worse later that day.

Stage 3 was another 185km stage taking us up to the coast and then coming back to the same last 80km finishing loop as the previous day. It was windy again. Feeling healthy and reasonably fresh given the conditions, I had harboured a little hope and confidence in myself to make a difference in the race today. Unfortunately, I crashed hard early on. Snapping the chain on my bike during an effort to bridge on to a small attack, I hit my handlebar with my knee at 50km/h, and slid on the deck, doing a few spins on the pavement like what must have looked like a crab turning sideways. I called it a day, and got into the ambulance with a few big spots of burnt skin. Oh well, that’s bike racing. I will now try to recover and hope tomorrow will be better. 

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